Apartment Living with Your Dog

March 1, 2019

Here are some helpful tips for living in an apartment with your dog.

Dogs and apartments: you may not think these two would go
together very well, but with some training and lots of walks, you and your
pooch can be quite happy in an apartment together! Here are some helpful tips
for living in an apartment with your dog.

Big Energy in a Small Space

Like you, your
dog needs lots of exercise. In the absence of a fenced yard, you will need to
figure out how to make sure he or she gets the exercise they need. Did you know
that there are companies that make exercise equipment for dogs? Many pet owners
with high-energy breeds will get a doggy treadmill to help get some of that
energy out. Getting them outside as frequently as possible will help too. The
fresh air will do you both a lot of good!

Teach Them to Be a Good Neighbor

If you live in an apartment, you know that noisy neighbors
can be a real problem, from the people upstairs who stomp around all the time to
the people across the hall with the obnoxiously loud children. Don’t let your
dog become just another obnoxious neighbor. Most dogs bark, that is how they
communicate after all. However, excessive barking is a huge no-no. Training them
to bark as little as possible can go a long way toward “good neighbor” status.
Some owners even teach their dogs to use an “inside voice”! Your pup probably
loves treats, almost as much as they love you! Use this to your advantage. Treats
and lots of praise will reinforce good behaviors and reprimand or ignore
negative ones.

Potty Breaks

When you’re living in an apartment, you probably don’t have
a yard. If you’re in a suburban area and in a ground floor unit, there may be
some grass but for city areas and most other apartments, there isn’t really a
lot of green space for puppy potty breaks. Fortunately, there are many
companies that make patches of artificial “grass” for your pup to do their
business on. You can even get patches of real grass from some places!

We Would Love the Opportunity to Care for Your Furry Friends!

Alexander Animal
Hospital is a full-service animal hospital located in Severna
Park, Maryland, serving the Severna Park, Pasadena, and Arnold Areas. Our goal
is educating clients on the needs of their pets and understanding the
importance of individualized veterinary care in order to strengthen the
human-animal bond between owners and their pets.